Feb, 28, 2008
MARITIME
All American Marine completes 5th research vessel for NOAA
Local company worked with agency on design
The Teknicraft design is favored for its fuel efficiency — at any speed between about 20 and 40 mph the vessel burns about three gallons per mile, better than the typical consumption for this type boat, according to the All American Marine Web site.
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ANDY CAMPBELL
THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the owner of a new research vessel built by Bellingham’s All American Marine.
At nearly 83 feet long, the aluminum Teknicraft catamaran named the Manta is the largest research vessel the business has ever built for NOAA. The company is completing its final test runs at the Fairhaven facility.
Its destination is the NOAA’s Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, located offshore about 105 miles south of the Texas and Louisiana border, in the Gulf of Mexico.
“The vessel is really going to increase our research capabilities,” said Emma Hickerson, research coordinator at the sanctuary, headquartered in Galveston, Texas.
She said the vessel will be used for a variety of functions, from surveying the coral reefs and fish counts to dive-related research and education.
It will be a healthy upgrade too, since the NOAA’s previous vessel was less than safe in harsh weather, Hickerson said.
“We’ll be able to be much taken to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where it will be picked up in early May to begin service.
more flexible with our schedule, and (the vessel) caters to broader needs in research,” Hickerson said, adding that it is expected to significantly cut down on survey time.
This is the fifth Teknicraft catamaran All American Marine has built for the NOAA and National Marine Sanctuaries.
Though the shell of the vessel is standard, Hickerson said she was excited that All American Marine allowed NOAA to tweak the design of the vessel to fit its diving and research needs. The NOAA vessel will be
